336
JOASH, KING OF JUDAH
2 Kings 12:1–21;
2 Chronicles 24:1–27At the age of 7, with the help of
the high priest Jehoiada, Joash
begins his 40-year rule of Judah.
On the death of Jehoiada, the king
and his people stop worshipping
in the Temple. When his son
Zechariah complains, Joash
orders him to be stoned to death.
In retribution, God allows a small
Syrian army to conquer the army
of Judah and raid Jerusalem.
See also: The Wisdom of Solomon
120–23 ■ The Prophet Jeremiah
156 –59DEATH OF ELISHA
2 Kings 13:14–20On his deathbed, Elisha instructs
King Joash to fire an arrow out
of the window. This, he said, was
“the Lord’s arrow of victory.” He
tells Joash to fire the remaining
arrows, but when Joash does so
only three times, Elisha asks why
he has not shot five or six arrows,
as this would have completely
defeated the Syrians. Now they will
be defeated only three times. After
issuing this warning, Elisha dies.
See also: A Prophet in Hiding
124 ■ Elijah and the Prophets
of Baal 125 ■ The Chariot of Fire
126–27HEZEKIAH’S REFORMS
2 Kings 18At the age of 25, Hezekiah becomes
King of Judah. His religious reforms
demand the destruction of images,
including Nehushtan, the bronze
serpent said to have been made byMoses. He purges the priesthood
and centralizes the worship of
God at the Temple in Jerusalem.
This act represents an emphatic
denunciation of impure gods
and false idols.
See also: The Golden Calf 84–85 ■
Daniel in Babylon 164–65DANIEL IMPRESSES
NEBUCHADNEZZAR
Daniel 1:1–21Four noble Israelites are selected
to serve Nebuchadnezzar’s royal
palace in Babylon. They are to be
trained for three years and given
the best food and wine. Daniel does
not want to eat or drink anything
against God’s Law, and he asks
the chief official if they may eat
only vegetables and drink water.
After ten days, Daniel and his
compatriots look much healthier
than the king’s men, showing
Daniel’s wisdom and virtue, and
they become the most respected
wise men in the kingdom.
See also: Joseph the Dreamer
58–61 ■ Daniel in Babylon 164–65DEFYING THE KING’S
FIERY FURNACE
Daniel 3When Shadrach, Meshach, and
Abednego fail to take part in
the worship of a huge new golden
image which Nebuchadnezzar
has created, he orders them to be
burned to death. The furnace is
built and the fire is so intense that
the soldiers in charge of the victims
are burned, but the three Israelites
remain completely unharmed by
the flames. Seeing this miracle,
Nebuchadnezzar is converted, and
says anybody offending God wouldbe cut to pieces. This story reflects
the moral imperative to avoid
worshipping false idols, while
the conversion of the tyrannical
Nebuchadnezzar reflects the might
and reach of God’s influence.
See also: Daniel in Babylon
164 – 65 ■ The Road to Damascus
290–91BECOMING A
WILD ANIMAL
Daniel 4Nebuchadnezzar dreams of a giant
tree reaching to the sky being cut
down, dispersing the animals
sheltering beneath it, though the
stump of the tree remains. Daniel
interprets the dream as the king
being driven into the wilderness
to live like the animals, although
the remaining stump implies that
he will return to power when he
acknowledges the Kingdom of
Heaven. Daniel’s interpretation
of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream
introduces his ability to explain
the significance of visions.
See also: Joseph the Dreamer
58–61 ■ Daniel in Babylon 164–65BELSHAZZAR’S FEAST
Daniel 5King Belshazzar of Babylon hosts
a banquet for 1,000 nobles, who
drink wine from golden goblets
taken from the Temple of Jerusalem.
When a finger appears and writes
a message across a wall, the king
promises riches for anyone who
can interpret the sign. Daniel is
summoned and offered riches and
status in exchange for deciphering
the message. Refusing the offer, he
explains to King Belshazzar that
God is displeased with his lack ofDIRECTORY
US_332-339_Directory.indd 336 28/09/17 2:43 pm
DIRECTORY 337
them will never thirst.” Many in
the town come to believe in Him
and they urge Him to stay. Jesus’s
interactions with the Samaritan
woman and surrounding crowd
are imbued with clear metaphorical
connotations, as He demonstrates
to those present that the water of
life will provide sustenance to any
who will follow Him, regardless of
their nationality or origin.
See also: The Calling of the
Disciples 200–03 ■ The Good
Samaritan 216–17 ■ Road to
Emmaus 272–73THE WISE AND
FOOLISH BUILDERS
Matthew 7:24–27During the Sermon on the Mount,
Jesus tells a parable in order to
demonstrate the importance of
following His teachings in daily
life. He describes a man who
faithfully practices the word of
God as one “who built his house
on the rock.” Jesus explains that
after the house is built, and when
the rains come, the streams rise,
and the winds beat against the
house, it stays standing because
of its solid foundation.
By contrast, those who do not
practice the word of God are
compared to “a foolish man who
built his house on sand.” For him,
when the rains come, the streams
rise, and the winds beat against
the house, it crashes to the ground.
Through this parable, Jesus
signifies that through times of
affliction, practicing faith in God
will give believers the strength
they need to persevere.
See also: The Raising of Lazarus
226–27 ■ Feeding the 5,000
228–31 ■ The Healing of the
Beggar 284–87BEHEADING OF JOHN
THE BAPTIST
Mark 6:16–29Following the death of her husband,
Philip, Princess Herodias marries
Philip’s brother, King Herod. When
John the Baptist insists that this
union is unlawful and immoral,
Herodias nurses a grudge against
him. At a banquet, Herod asks the
daughter of Herodias, Salome, to
dance, before promising her any
gift she chooses. At Herodias’s
suggestion, the girl asks for the
head of John the Baptist. Although
Herod has no quarrel with John, he
carries out his promise. John the
Baptist is executed, and his head is
brought to Herodias on a platter.
This story demonstrates the vicious
and brutal nature of Herod’s rule.
See also: Baptism of Jesus
194 –97 ■ The Crucifixion 258–65 ■
Paul’s Arrest 294–95A GIRL POSSESSED
Matthew 15:2–28; Mark 7:24–30A Gentile in the region of Tyre
and Sidon begs Jesus to cure her
daughter, who is possessed by a
demon. At first, He refuses, saying
He has been sent to help the
children of Israel, and that it was
not right to take their bread and
toss it to the dogs (meaning
Gentiles). She replies that even the
dogs eat the crumbs that fall from
their master’s table. For her faith in
Him, He tells her to go home where
she will find her daughter cured.
In doing so, Jesus rewards all those
who show their faith in Him.
See also: Demons and the Herd
of Pigs 224–25 ■ The Raising of
Lazarus 226–27 ■ The Nature of
Faith 236–41faith and his days are numbered.
The king rewards him with high
office, recognizing Daniel as
God’s loyal servant.
See also: Joseph the Dreamer
58–61 ■ Daniel in Babylon 164–65WATER INTO WINE
John 2:1–11Jesus, Mary, and His disciples
attend a wedding at Cana in
Galilee. When the entire supply of
wine has been consumed by the
wedding guests, Mary comes to
Jesus and tells Him what has
happened. Jesus instructs the
servants to pour water into jars and
take it to the master of the banquet,
who, upon tasting it, discovers it
has been transformed into wine.
Despite performing the miracle,
Jesus initially showed reluctance
when Mary approached Him,
saying, “Why do you involve me?
My time has not yet come.” Jesus
makes multiple references to His
“time” or “hour” throughout the
Gospels, alluding to His crucifixion
and resurrection, when His blood,
often symbolized by wine, will
cleanse humanity of all sin.
See also: The Raising of Lazarus
226–27 ■ Feeding the 5,000
228–31 ■ The Healing of the
Beggar 284–87WOMAN AT THE WELL
John 4:1–42Jesus meets a woman drawing
water from Jacob’s well. Although
Samaritans are not meant to speak
with Jews, Jesus talks to her,
revealing Himself as the Messiah,
saying, “Everyone who drinks this
water will be thirsty again, but
whoever drinks the water I giveUS_332-339_Directory.indd 337 28/09/17 2:43 pm